Innocent
by Illusionary Heart
Summary: Convicted of murdering the duke of Velder, Aisha is put under the care of one of the highest ranking knights – Elsword. However, as time goes on, he struggles with the sneaking suspicion of the girl's innocence and a new, overwhelming urge to protect her. ElsAi.
1. Convicted

**Classes:**

**Aisha: Elemental Master (18)**

**Elsword: Infinity Sword (19)**

**Eve: Code: Empress (17)**

**Chung: Deadly Chaser (18)**

**Rena: Grand Archer (23)**

**Raven: Blade Master (27)**

**Elesis/Elsa: Grand Master (21)**

**Add: MasterMind (19)**

**Ara: Sakra Devanam (17)**

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**Innocent**

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**Chapter 1**

**Convicted**

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**"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe."**

**-Abraham Lincoln**

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The sky was gray today. It dampened Elsword's mood. It wasn't as if he felt particularly good and fresh on the sunny days. It just seemed a lot more dark today for some reason. It bothered him a little bit, but at least Velder was protected from Glitter monsters again today. Glitters were relentless, and for some reason they liked Velder. Being a Velder Knight was cool and all, but it didn't help the fact that there were some seriously ugly crocodile creatures who roamed around it. He yawned – nothing interesting had happened today. It was the same old things: swing his sword around, get beaten to a pulp by his energetic older sister, and listen to Praus mumble about Hanna. Velder itself wasn't much better, either. Nothing exciting happened. Except maybe that one time when Elsword forgot to sound the alarm and Glitters took over for about five seconds.

Despite the dreary mood, the breeze was still playful. It swirls across him, trailing leaves in its wake. He plucks one from the air, crushes it in his palm, and releases it. The tiny crumbles dance as the wind carries it away. He snorts.

"What does my little brother have anything to snort about?" A feminine voice chortles behind him. Elsword doesn't bother to turn around to look at his older sister.

"Nothing. It's just so… I don't know. Moody? Just have a bad feeling, you know?" Elsword yawns. Elesis, or rather more known as just 'Elsa', sits down beside him. Her face was much like his; bored, and a little uneasy.

She says, "We've all been feeling it today. Even Vanessa says she feels a little wary today. She warned us to be extra cautious." Then there was a tugging motion, and immediately Elsword was lifted onto his feet. He sucks in a short breath, and then irritably stares down at Elsa. The smaller girl smacks her fist into his jaw, and he topples over. Pain flashes as white dots on his vision and he hisses, "What the heck, Elsa?!"

She laughs behind him, and says, "Even if the day is making you uneasy, that's no reason to skimp on your training! The duke has given his explicit orders today. Actually it was more like yesterday, but I forgot to tell you."

Elsword was immediately alert. The Velder Knight's orders were never given directly from the duke himself. Curious, he asks, "What did he order us to do?" Elsa pauses for a moment, as if thinking, and then says, "More training. I suppose he felt uneasy yesterday. Anyways, little brother, let's train! Oh, wait, let me get my claymore first. I think I left it in my room." Without another word, she scrambles away to the large building in the center of Velder.

"Damn, that hurt," He mumbles quietly after she disappears. He gingerly presses his palm against his jaw and winces. Even if she has a small body frame, Elsa was a lot stronger than people would think. In fact, she was the highest-ranking knight in Velder. Proudly, Elsword had to admit he was just under her, but she was still a whole lot stronger than he was. Flopping onto the ground, he stared at the murky gray sky, waiting for Elsa. No specific orders were given today, after all it was an off day for him and his sister. The clouds swirl, and an uncomfortable feeling settles itself in the pit of his stomach just as Elsa's voice rings throughout the clearing.

"Hey! Stop snoozing! We have to train!" She smacks his head with the butt of her sword, and grins when Elsword glares at her. "I regret nothing," She says smugly, crossing her arms.

"You will in a bit," He replies, narrowing his eyes. Within a heartbeat he has his own large sword brandished in front of him, the sharp tip almost against Elsa's chest. "Hope you're ready to lose, big sister."

Elsa smiles, pushes the sword away with her claymore, and shouts, "I hope _you're _ready to eat those words up!" With a restless glance at the moody sky, she turns back with a smirk and swings. Elsword dodges skillfully, gulping mildly when the tip scratches his leg. Blood beads up and he glares at her. She smirks.

That's it.

He retracts his steps and glares. Elsa smirks again and prepares to swing, curling her fingers up on the handle, twitching with anticipation.

"**Crescent Cut!**" Elsword meets her giant claymore with three crescent moon cuts that pierces into it. Elsa staggers backwards and eyes her little brother more cautiously. "You've gotten better, Elsword. I hope you've practiced enough, though! I've improved too!"

She twirls regally in place. "**Juggernaut Buster!**"Her snake-like steps leap closer to him and suddenly a flurry of orange wind caused by her claymore pushes into his face. He leaps backwards to avoid it, but her slashes continue to get closer until her final hit – the deadliest of them all – catches him off guard and he flies backwards. There's a ripping noise and he inwardly groans. Elsa advances towards him, her dark red eyes flashing with amusement. "Not enough yet, eh?"

Ticked off by her teasing words, Elsword helps himself up faster than Elsa was approaching. "**Maelstrom Rage!**" He roars at her, and suddenly his Cornwells materialize behind her. Elsa looks back only to be met with a frenzy of swords that attack her with ferocious speed, and she yelps. When the Cornwell stops, he walks over to Elsa who is in a slump on the floor and says, "I think it's enough." He holds out his hand, smirking. Finally, he had won! Of course, it was but a short battle but –

Elsa uses his arm to accelerate herself forwards, exhibiting her claymore in front of her. "**Cross Slash.**" She places two neat blows in a cross shape to his chest and gracefully lands three feet away from him. Elsword collapses, the grass itchy under his skin. His head is throbbing, his chest is aching – this was a bad idea, he realizes too late.

"Owww," He complains, holding his chest. His shirt is shredded in the front, and when he glares at his older sister it's obvious she's trying to hold in boisterous laughter. "That hurt. Can't you go easy on me?"

"Easy doesn't win anything," Elsa informs him, prodding his hair with the sharp tip of her claymore. "Especially if you're against your brother. I'm never gonna go easy on you, Els."

Elsword grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, yeah, I get it – "

Suddenly, the sound of a horn blasts through Elsword's ears, and he jerks upwards. Elsa immediately turns around, her eyes darkening. "That's the imperial horn… No, don't tell me…" With a curse, she leaves him there in the clearing, taking her claymore with her.

The imperial horn was only used for very, very important emergencies. Or so Elsa said. Never in his six years as a knight had he heard the imperial horn screech. It was like a mixture of a dying goat and a constipated cat – as the only son of a farmer, he dealt with things like that quite often. But never mind that. He picks up his sword and throws the remains of his shirt on the ground. It wouldn't do much now, anyway. He follows after his sister, and the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach stirs up again.

When he arrives, the entirety of the Velder Knights is in an uproar. Vanessa is standing on a wooden box, trying to find order within the panicking knights, but all attempts are futile. He quickly locates Elsa within the crowd. A knight named Racho is speaking rapidly to her, and Elsa quickly pales. A slow feeling of unease washes over him when his sister starts to speak urgently back. He stands at her side when he reaches her, curiously watching them. Racho and Elsa hardly look at him as they talk. Finally somebody pulls Racho to the side and he's alone with Elsa. Finally, some answers, he thinks with irritation. But it's short-lived. His sister's face is in a panic and he asks, "What's up? Why is everybody going insane?"

Elsa tries to speak numerous times, but they come out in a jumble. She takes a deep breath, and says, "The duke of Velder has been murdered."

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What?

Did she just say…? He blinks, and then sticks his fingers in his ears and brings them back out. Did she really just…

"What? What did you just say? The duke… has been murdered?" He asks in morbid disbelief. Elsa nods, obviously a little agitated. "When? How? Why? Who?"

She shakes her head firmly, apparently trying to settle down. "It happened… last night. His daughter, Eve, only just discovered him. I… I'll be right back." He watches, dumbfounded as his sister maneuvers through the crowd, trying to get to Vanessa. It just doesn't click. He's been murdered. The head of Velder, the big boss, has been murdered. Well, it was the _boss_. It also meant that his daughter Eve (who is only seventeen) takes over Velder now. Then he imagined the panic the city must be in. How much this knowledge makes them shake. Suddenly Vanessa roars loudly, and everybody quiets down.

"Shut up, you fools! Stop screaming like babies and get a grip! They're on the track of the murderer right now; whoever it was left trails. We'll get to the bottom of this. For now, everybody do extra patrols. Add on to whatever day you have. Thrice a week, if you must. We can't let harm come to Eve, too. She's all Velder has now." Vanessa screams. "And for heaven's sake – _don't get hurt!_ Velder needs all the help now."

Murmurs break through the Velder Army, all contemplating Vanessa's words. The duke had been a powerful man; it was how he kept order in Velder. Surely, some said, if this murderer could kill the duke they'd be next as well. Elsword watched, but it was like they were in a snow globe and he was shaking said snow globe. Everything sounded muted, like a hollow illusion.

Then he shook his head. **_Calm down. It's not the end of the world_**_,_ A voice in his head states. _Shut up, Cornwell. I'm trying to calm down, don't you see that?_ Elsword retorts.

**_Bah._**

_Just shut up. _

When Cornwell stays silent, Elsword releases a heavy sigh. The duke of Velder has been killed. Now what does he do? Vanessa said everything should go as normal.

At least they were on the trail of the criminal.

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Three days later, Elsa bursts into his room, her eyes dark with fury and hatred. "Come, Elsword. Vanessa wants you. Right now. No ifs, ands, or buts. Just come on." She tugs him out of his chair, ignoring his protests, and drags him to the main hall. Dang, Elsa has one **strong **grip. When he arrives, he stares at the scene in front of him in confusion. At the top of the staircase, a young girl is standing there. Her silvery white hair is tied in pleats that wrap around her ears. Although her posture is regal, her facial expression is grim. An assembly of soldiers are at the bottom, their dark gray armor blending nearly identical.

One thing catches his eye, though. An unusual flash of bright purple within the crowd. Vanessa steps up besides the white-haired girl, and they both give each other harsh nods. "Elsword, come up here."

He does what she says, confused. Why was he here? Did they finally… ohhhh. Vanessa addresses the crowd shortly and says, "The murderer of Duke Raseys has been discovered. Please, push her forwards."

The girl with the purple hair is thrusted forwards. Her grape-colored eyes dart all over the building, and she's shaking a little.

"This is the murderer, Elsword." Vanessa says, turning to look at him. Her sharp cyan eyes glare at him, but he doesn't understand why.

Her? The murderer? He pauses to look at her. Skinny, short and looks incredibly timid. Huh.

"Okay… Is there a specific reason that you're telling me this?" He asks hesitantly.

Vanessa replies, "Yes, yes there is, actually. This is Aisha." She brandishes an arm towards the girl, who flinches. "We have found solid proof that she is the murderer, and her execution will be in a week.

"You have been assigned with the task of watching her until the date of her execution." Vanessa adds placidly. Elsword whips his head around to look at Aisha, who is staring limply back. Behind him, Elsa sighs.

He has to watch the murderer of the duke for a whole week?

Oh, joy.

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**This is my new long-term story, Innocent. I'll admit this isn't my best work, and I'll probably revise it in the near future. The pairings are decided, and you can probably guess them. I think. It also says on the summary, but there's going to be a few twists, too. **

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. A Murderer

Frustrated, the crimson-haired knight pulls his hand through his hair, sneaking glances at Aisha. The petite girl was curled up in the corner, wearily looking at everything as if it were a bloodthirsty Vanessa. Still, he couldn't believe that a weak girl like _her _could kill the duke. From rumors, Elsword had heard the duke was very powerful. And – and look at her! Scrawny, clueless, and… well… _feminine_. No, he wasn't being sexist; he learned his lesson from Elsa.

But this girl – Aisha – looked like she never even stepped out of her hometown before. Scared stiff. She jerks suddenly in her cell, before lying on the floor and curling up. Her iridescent purple eyes were blank and droopy. Well, if they had proof, Aisha could've been the murderer. Elsword had dealt with a weak-looking criminal before.

If Vanessa was right, it'd be only a matter of time until Aisha showed her true colors. Elsword also contemplated on the orders he was given by Vanessa shortly after Aisha was shoved into her cell – he was to question her.

It was the standard orders. It never worked, though. What kind of murderer actually answers questions to why they did what they did? He'd never met anybody like that his entire career as a knight.

In the morning, he decides. Aisha looked pretty bedraggled, and as criminal as she was, Elsword decided he'd let her rest for a few more hours. His armor clinks as he shifts position, and Aisha lifts her gaze, resting on his legs for a moment before sliding back down to the ground. Why was she so… soulless? She'd murdered the duke, apparently. So why did she look empty? Eh, that wasn't for him to know, Elsword decides.

Within an hour or so, Aisha had started to breathe softly, and Elsword was convinced that she'd fallen asleep. A quick glance reaffirms his suspicion. His hand twitches, and he looks down at it, confused. He switches his gaze back to Aisha. She looked a lot younger when she was sleeping. A shallow breeze from the door sifted to him, and he sighs. Now he was officially bored. All he had to do was watch a potentially dangerous _little girl _in a cell. Wonderful.

He fiddles with the keys until the sun comes up. By then, he was kind of ticked that Raven hadn't come to visit him in this stinky jail. He fumbles with the keys and stomps inside the cell.

Aisha lifts her head, blinking, and then sits up as Elsword slides his chair in. She scrambles up to her feet but ended up teetering and lands on the bed she hadn't bothered to use. "W-what?"

Elsword sits down. Hm. Aisha's voice was a lot softer and higher than he'd thought it'd be. "I'm supposed to question you about your actions. Orders from the boss," He informs her. She sighs.

"A-alright." She murmurs softly, almost to herself. "It's going to be fine, Aisha," She adds quickly. Elsword sighs and Aisha jerks her attention back to him.

He says, "Let's get this over with quickly, shall we?" Elsword glances at the paper down at his hands and asks, "Why did you murder the duke?"

Aisha lets loose a perplexed, nervous laugh. "You really think that I… That I'm going to answer a question like _that_?"

"No. But I'm required to," He says almost immediately. Most of the criminals liked to ask that question. "So… Are you refusing to answer the question?"

The petite girl mumbles under her breath, swipes a lock of purple hair behind her ear, and says, "Yes. I am. Dammit, I hate Pluone so much."

Elsword cocks his head at her. Did she just say Pluone? "We're in Rurensia."

This time, Aisha looks genuinely confused. "We're in… Rurensia? I-I mean, right. I knew that. Just – just saying that I hate Pluone."

"You're from Pluone? Isn't it hot over there?"

"Um, that's only Sander. Hamel is pretty cool."

Elsword shakes his head in disbelief. "So you came from Pluone to Rurensia just to kill some duke?"

"Aha… Yes? No!" Aisha fumbles with her words, and then turns bright red. "Never mind! Just go away!"

He poked and jabbed at her for another hour, but the girl refused to speak to him again. So he had to give up. Now she was the strangest person he'd ever met, Elsword thinks as he sits back in the chair.

Suddenly the door to the one-celled prison opens and a young man with black hair enters. "Sorry I couldn't come earlier. Amelia needed help getting the pigs off the castle roof."

"… Again?"

"Yeah, except it wasn't Lightning this time, it was Limelight. So, enjoying your time with the murderer?" Raven glances pointedly at Aisha, who gives him a fierce stare back. It was an improvement from that dull glance from before.

"She's… Difficult," Elsword sighs, lacing his hands behind his head. "She won't speak to me."

"For a good reason!" Aisha says from the cell, glaring at both men. "Now go shut up and leave me alone! I want some me time!"

"Jeez, I didn't know the murderer of Velder's duke was emo," Raven says, completely humorlessly. "But no, we're required to sit here and watch you like hawks 24/7."

"That's not creepy at all." Aisha retorts, before curling into a ball. "Just shut up or something."

Raven faintly smiles, and then says, "It can't be boring with someone like her in a cell, hm?"

"Well, aside from the fact that she's a murderer, I guess not."

Aisha winces.

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Eve clasps her hands over her head. "I don't know how to feel about this. I really don't know."

Her maid, Ara, shifts from one foot to another. "U-um… Do you need anything?" On Eve's other side, her butler Add makes a scoffing motion that she doesn't miss.

"Maybe if you think being with me is a pain, you should leave," Eve snaps, then collapses into her chair. "How am I going to rule Velder all by myself? This is… Ugh. When is Dad's funeral again?" She gestures wordlessly at Add, who lifts an eyebrow.

"Next week, Eve."

"Do not call me by my first name."

Add smirks. "Too late, Evey."

Ara looks at them both. As childhood friends, one would expect them to be very close, but it wasn't really like that for them. More like it was Add trying to keep up the friendship and Eve pushing him away. She couldn't blame Eve; Add could sometimes be a little… difficult. But she thought it was sweet how Add tried so hard.

She speaks up, "So is there really nothing I can do for you?"

Eve shakes her head, waving her two friends off. "No. Just – just need to think. Thank you, though. I appreciate it."

Ara nods and leaves the room, gently tugging on Add's sleeve as she goes. Add frowns, but follows her into the hallway. "She needs to loosen up," He remarks when Ara shuts the door.

She sighs. "Her father just died, the duke! You can't blame her. It must be hard. She lost him, and now she has Velder to rule." Ara fiddles with her thumbs, and Add sighs.

"Whatever. I'm going to get something to eat, you?" He asks nonchalantly.

Ara blushes, slightly pleased that he'd bother to ask her that, and says, "No, thanks."

Add nods and disappears down the spiral staircase. Ara, to say, has long admired the older male. She smiles when his footsteps echo off into the distance. Now, she should probably go clean her room. It looked like a tornado had come in.

As she walked down the stairs to her room, Ara caught a strand of billowing red hair. "Oh, Elesis!" The beautiful knight turns and smiles when she sees the maid.

"Hi, Ara. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to clean my room. But you know, I've been meaning to ask…" Ara breathes in and releases it shortly after. "How is Elsword? I-I mean, with the murderer and all that."

Elesis's mood seems to darken. "Oh. Apparently she's quite the amusing captive." She crosses her arms, tapping her feet, and sighs. "No trouble from her yet."

"Yet?"

The girl nods. "She may seem like any other girl, but don't forget that she's a murderer. Nothing like you, Ara."

A murderer.

Nothing like her.

"Got it," Ara says. "I got it. Anyways, what were you doing?"

Elesis laughs wryly. "I was going to check up on my little brother, actually. I should be going."

"I'm s-sorry for taking up your time."

"Not at all."

Elesis smiles and leaves. Ara continues to her room, thinking about what Elesis said. When she arrives, she immediately starts cleaning up. As she's shaking the pillows, she wonders, _I wonder if Eve's okay._

Then Eve screams from her room above.

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**It didn't quite end as I'd like it, but I guess I'm okay with it.**

**This gets better later on, I promise. It's just the buildup here. **


End file.
